Firefighter touched lives of hundreds of students

August 10, 2010

When he wasn't working as a firefighter, Christopher Wheatley taught emergency medical techniques to students and even doctors.

Wheatley -- who died fighting a fire today -- worked several times a month at the Clinical Performance Center, an office within the UIC College of Medicine that uses actors and mannequins in "simulated clinical encounters."

"He was always fun, eager to work, always showed up with a smile on his face," said Cindy LeDonne, a simulation specialist at the center who hired Wheatley in the early summer of 2008.

"He's the kind of guy who, when he walked into the room, you felt better about yourself," said Eric Wellbruch, who worked with Wheatley in simulations.

He was also one of the better instructors.

At the center, he taught techniques such as drawing blood, intubation, catheter insertion and lumbar punctures. But beyond the how-to, Wheatley's value to the program was his experience in real-world situations.

"They can relay real information ... invaluable information," LeDonne said of Wheatley and other Fire Department paramedics who work for the center. "This is how it really is when you're with a real patient. These are the kinds of problems you'll run into."

In the simulations, students are called on to evaluate a medical situation, decide on a course of action and execute it on the "patient." LeDonne said Wheatley's role was akin to a proctor on an exam, overseeing the simulation and providing clues on symptoms that the mannequins could not simulate, such as swelling and change in skin complexion.

As an instructor, Wheatley was patient and could sense where students were having difficulty, which allowed him to provide input without hurting feelings.

"And he made it fun," LeDonne said.

She said every year about 200 medical students and up to 250 first-year residents go through simulations at the center. In his two-plus years there, Wheatley touched the lives of hundreds of students.

"When I think of the numbers of medical personnel that he was able to help and the numbers of people that they will now have impact on, its a ripple effect," LeDonne said. "And the lives that are gonna be enhanced from his input here, his contribution, the numbers are going to be huge."